1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to insulation jackets for protecting objects which could be damaged by exposure to freezing temperatures, such as faucets and similar components of a plumbing system. More particularly, the invention sets forth effective construction of an insulating jacket which is flexible, can constrict about the protected object, and can be fabricated from commonly available materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has become common practice to protect exposed components of plumbing systems by encasing these components in insulating jackets. In most cases, the insulating jackets are temporarily installed during the cold season and are removed in the warm season. To be effective and limited to reasonable dimensions, the insulating jacket must cooperate with the object it surrounds. This characteristic is not easily achieved since while pipes include many straight runs of constant or unvarying configuration, plumbing systems include irregularly configured components such as faucets, traps, branching fittings, and the like.
The prior art has proposed insulating jackets specifically for protecting exteriorly located residential faucets. Examples are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,650,180, issued to Stanley F. Walker on Aug. 25, 1953, U.S. Pat. No. 2,686,530, issued to Frank Dire on Aug. 17, 1954, U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,043, issued to Cleo D. Carlson on Jan. 31, 1978, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,394, issued to William Hartselle, III on Jan. 13, 1981. In each of these prior art examples, the subject device includes a rigid outer housing or shell which in most cases covers a somewhat flexible or deformable layer of insulating material. The outer housing resists weather and holds the insulation closely against the protected object.
These prior art devices lack the construction of the present invention wherein plural water and wind resistant strata alternate with plural insulating strata. Flexible insulation material employed in the prior art devices is not of the type to retain effectiveness if saturated with water. Also, the prior art devices lack a flexible outer cover and the ability to constrict at the open end, as seen in the present invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.